A Fife MP has suggested there may be “lessons to learn” into why a French Holocaust denier was able to evade being identified by authorities prior to his arrest in a small Scots fishing village.
Vincent Reynouard was apprehended by Police Scotland officers in the Anstruther area of Fife on Thursday, November 10, on a Trade and Co-operation Agreement warrant issued in France, two years after he fled the country following a conviction under strict anti-Nazi laws.
The 53-year-old, who has multiple convictions in his native country spanning decades for comments he has made denying the existence of the Holocaust and distortion of the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, had allegedly been working with children under a false name as a private tutor, according to reports in France.
Reynouard’s convictions date back as far as 1991, when he was sentenced for distributing leaflets denying the existence of the gas chambers among high school students.
READ MORE: French far-right party support Holocaust denier arrested in Scotland
A recent analysis of the French far right by newspaper Liberation identified Reynouard as a key member of a network of propagandists ‘dedicated to the denial and distortion of the Holocaust’.
His name has also been linked to an open investigation into a vandalism attack on the Oradour-sur-Glane Memorial Centre, which commemorates the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, in August of 2020.
Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, said there are “questions to be asked” on whether Reynouard underwent any criminal records checks before he reportedly gained work as a tutor.
The MP told The Herald: “I learned of this situation through media reports yesterday. I know there is concern locally but am grateful for the smooth running of the police operation yesterday.
“Following these events there are questions to be asked about whether Mr Renouyard had appropriate criminal record checks before reportedly working with children as a tutor. There may also be lessons to learn from this case in terms of why he wasn’t identified by the authorities sooner.”
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) confirmed to The Herald that it is acting on behalf of the French authorities in relation to an extradition request in respect of Reynouard.
A COPFS spokesman said: “The Lord Advocate has a statutory responsibility to act on behalf of authorities who make extradition requests through the Scottish courts. The thorough and proper execution of these responsibilities is essential to the rule of law and preservation of Scottish interests in its relationships with other international jurisdictions.
“Mr Reynouard appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on November 10. He was remanded in custody following that hearing.
“A procedural hearing is scheduled for November 17 with an evidential hearing on November 24.”
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